Croix Meridies
Croix Meridies (in Japanese: クロワ・メリディエス Kurowa Meridiesu) is the main antagonist of the 2013 anime series Little Witch Academia created by Yō Yoshinari and produced by Trigger. Croix is a former friend of the main protagonist Atsuko "Akko" Kagari's teacher and mother figure, Chariot dua Nord (currently known under alias Ursula Callistis), who previously helped her in searching for the Grand Triskelion's words, but grew spiteful towards her over not being chosen to wield the Shiny Rod. Her resentments ultimately grow that she later tricked Ursula to employ sinister spell called Dream Fuel Spirit on her spectators (where young Akko and Diana happened to be two of them), crippling their magical powers in process and caused their friendship ended by that point. From there on, she schemes to unlock the Grand Triskelion using her technomagical skills and directly responsible for many misfortunes and problems that protagonists faced in her pursuit of that goal. Appearance Croix is a young woman of tall stature with white skin complexion. Her eyes are aqua, which she paints with a dark pink eye shadow. Her lilac hair has wavy hairstyle, with a lock that covers her left eye. She wears a suit that covers her body with a neck that reaches the height of her ears. She has a brown leather saddlebag, a large cape and high-heeled boots. Sometimes as a student Croix wore her hair long and had glasses, an inversion of Chariot's (whose hair was originally short and who started wearing glasses) disguise as Ursula. However, Croix kept her original hair color. Personality Croix is portrayed as being selfish, calculating, and bitter. Having turned against Woodward and Chariot, she ambitiously pursues what she believes to be her rightful destiny, and this has made her commit a number of fairly horrific deeds. She is highly logical person, but at the same time ruthless, vengeful, and cold-hearted than she let on, all because she couldn't shake her envy towards her best friend Chariot for being chosen by Shiny Rod as its wielder. Worse, the same envy stopped her from taking well-being of others into account, which explained why she indifferent to others' suffering because of her actions and experiments, as well as not hesitate to break or killing those who stands in her way. Earlier in life, Croix displayed timid, reserved, kind, considerate personality. While saddened that Shiny Rod rejected her, Croix able to keep her jealousy in check and held no ill feelings towards her best friend Chariot as well as support her the best she could. However, these lingering feelings of rejection, and the sight of Chariot not taking the quest very seriously turned whatever love and trust Croix had towards her friend and Woodward into hatred and wanted Grand Triskellion for herself, which ultimately have dire consequence for themselves and those caught in Dream Fuel Spirit (particularly Akko who believed her dreams have been destroyed until Diana gave her hope). Her greed for power went so far to willingly escalate the tense between England and its rival nation over controversial soccer verdict, which potentially causing the all-out war between both nations. Even with how far she had fallen however, traces of goodness within Croix's heart still remains: She was shown genuinely panicking when her robots made Chariot fall unconscious on her broom and nearly plummet to her death, and Croix's cries to awaken Chariot save her life. Also, when Woodward confronted Croix after broke the seal of Grand Triskellion and found that what she sought for is not like what she wanted, Croix unleashed her anger and blamed Woodward for what went wrong in the past and not helping her coping with Shiny Rod's rejection. Croix can remains stay uncannily cool under pressure no matter the situation. She also proves to be a very intelligent and manipulative strategist as well as an expert manipulator who meticulously devises many safeguards to ensure that things go in the direction she wants to, even when it seems she might lose. The testament of this can be seen from pioneered the field of Magitronics, planned fairy staffs' strike as she infiltrated Luna Nova by posing as new teacher, lull all of campus' inhabitants within false sense of security including Akko, have Akko and Amanda went to Appleton Academy so she can took a sample of rage-based Fuel Spirit from one of witch-hating students there to confirm whether anger produces more power by processed into Fuel Spirit, instigating attack during Wild Hunt, attempt to have murder or simply exposed Akko to Wagandea pollen, and harvesting anger from the strike over soccer verdict. However, her inability to both see possible flaws from her plan in harvesting anger-based Fuel Spirit energy and fathom that things she sought might not like what she wanted due to her self-obsession proved her undoing. All in all, Croix is a portrait of someone whose ego and ambitions went too far, driving her to try to take what wasn't hers, indifferent to other's well-being, and harming anyone who stood in her way, including her own best friend who greatly cared with her no matter how far she had fallen. Her eventual downfall came from her own denial, and her underestimation of Akko, as well as her failure to accept that Grand Triskellion is the great power never meant to be used by those who selfish and lacked the faith in magic. However, after Chariot saves her life from being eaten by the Noir Rod despite everything she had put her through, Croix eventually reverted to a kind and considerate person like she used to be, and eventually makes up with Chariot, telling her she'll devote herself to finding a cure for the Wagandea curse and restore Chariot's broom flying ability. Abilities and Weapons Weapons *'Sorcery Units': A device made by Croix that she describes as an "evolved" flying broom, but also doubles as weapon. It has great enough strength to support a human being and can even withstand heavy blows. They are also able to project holograms, equipped with weapons that shoot energy beams and capable of store the Fuel Spirit Devices. They can also clean, as is expected from any "evolved broom". When Noir Rod went out of control, it's revealed that Sorcery Units also equipped with self-destruct systems. *'Noir Fuel Spirit Devices': Croix's signature weapon. small magitronic devices created by Croix in order to absorb emotional energy and convert it into magical power. Abilities *'Intelligence': Croix is very intelligent, combined with her charisma, enable her to become skilled manipulator. *'Charisma': Croix proved to be charismatic as she can easily persuade and manipulate people to get what she wanted. *'Master Engineer': Croix is a highly skilled engineer as she pioneered the field of Magitronics. *'Magic': Croix is a skilled witch, but generally prefers to use her Magitronic devices over casting magic, and when she does cast it it is often through Magitronic mediums like her tablet, though she still retained the ability to use wands. *'Expert Tactician': Croix was able to plan and execute faerie strike at Luna Nova, sending her Noir Fuel Spirit Devices to interfere the duel between Amanda and Louis at Appleton Academy, executing the attack on Whild Hunt Event, and even heat up the riot that caused by controversial soccer verdict. Gallery C8-9pzoUIAEdblG.jpg|Croix appearing in the main credits for the show Woodwardimage8.gif|Croix foreshadowing Episode_14.png|Croix's first appearance in person 433.png|Croix during Skirmish at Wagandea in Episode 21 28.png|Ursula and Croix in the past 93a.png|Croix's Evil Smile 00000285.png|Corix's Breakdown with not only Grand Triskellion was not like what she wanted, but also her Noir Rod ended up mutated into monster worse than her Chariotandcroixyoung.png|A flashback of Croix and Chariot when Shiny Rod going to choose either her or Chariot tumblr_oo7w88YhIP1ql0375o1_540.gif|Cool Croix Cro3.png|Examining Color Wheel containing data of Fuel Spirit Energy samples taken from various emotions. Croix.png|Croix's evil grin SchoolYears.jpg|Croix in her School years f26.jpg|Croix talking with Akko Cro.png|Croix's moments of defeat as she was shocked that Ursula still protecting her even after various incidents and battles she instigated. Happy_Croix.gif|Croix's Redemption Trivia *"Croix Meridies" is the French term for the Southern Cross constellation. *The monster that appears during Shiny Chariot's magic show in the flashback at the beginning of Episode 1 resembles Croix's magitronic devices closely, and makes the same sound before it materializes. *Croix's Japanese voice actor shares the same voice as Naruto. Ironically, Croix's and Naruto's favorite food is ramen. *Croix's character is depicted as both foil and dark reflection of Diana Cavendish. Croix and Diana are both rivals and friends of bearers of Shiny Rod, both of them wished to be chosen as bearer of Shiny Rod only for the Rod choose their friend/rival (Croix was dismayed that Shiny Rod choose Chariot over her, Diana was similarly upset upon finding out that Akko has become the current bearer of Shiny Rod after learning the Rod's true nature and purpose), and are very frustrated at the current bearers of the rod's lack of interest on their duty to restore magic. However, whereas Diana starts as a rival to Akko but develops a friendship with her over time, and her intention to gain Shiny Rod was for a noble cause; Croix starts as a friend but develops a strong envy against Chariot, proceeds to forcefully play her role in her stead by bypassing the traditional ways of opening the Grand Triskelion, and just wanted to be the world's greatest witch. 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